CMOS materials, layers and processes are used to make integrated electronic devices and circuits to perform analog and digital functions. These materials, layers and processes can also be used to fabricate devices to perform sensing and actuation (or transduction) functions at the same time the CMOS circuit is made and later released. Although not necessarily optimized to perform transductions, the advantages of the reduced size, reduced parasitic electrical components and eliminated signal bond pads and their connections (such as wire bonds), IP (intellective property) reuse etc. may make this approach desirable. In the implementation of some transduction functions (motion detection, thermal/chemical etc.), released mechanical components are needed and this release process, consists of dry and/or wet etch process of “sacrificial layers”, can be performed after the completion of the CMOS circuitry using a CMOS-compatible post-processing process. Frequently, the released mechanical components are some combination forms of cantilevers, bridges, plates/membranes, posts and anchors with the freedom of bending, torsional rotations, deflections etc. with certain portion of the structures attached directly/indirectly to the substrate. In many situations, higher degrees of freedom such as rigid-body rotations, translations etc. of these components are needed.